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To: BMCDA
Belief is a cognitive, not a volitional process

I don't think they are exclusionary. Volition means the act of making a choice or decision. Cognition means the act or process of knowing. (Cognitive means relating to "cognition.") I'd agree there are things you can know instinctively i.e. "pain is bad" but complex beliefs require a choice to be made, which is a volitional process.

There are many you things you do so it is not a decision, but a matter of being convinced by evidence.

If you're have been convinced you have made a decision.

I don't know if you're different but I can't just believe a claim and in the next moment not believe it, then again believe it and so on.

You've never changed your mind about anything? You may have a point about something, however.

I like to think my beliefs are deeply considered which means I made a choice about them.

But I grant that some, however, can hold tight to a belief without considering the evidence for it. This would mean your belief would be based on emotion, not reason. Namely you would believe something just because you want to, which is what I accused JediGirl of doing.

So maybe "wanting" is not a volitional process but overcoming the wanting is.

166 posted on 07/25/2002 6:42:30 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Tribune7
Of course I've changed my mind. However, that wasn't a decision I made but it happened because I was confronted with new evidence or because I reexamined what I already knew. But then I couldn't just change my mind back. The new evidence convinced me and without any additional evidence to the contrary I can't simply decide to be not convinced anymore. Or are you able to convince yourself that something is true and in the next moment that it is not, then again that it is true and so on without seeing any new evidence or reexamining the information you already have? I for instance can't convince myself that the moon is made of green cheese, or can you?

This is the belief I am talking about and not the belief that can be also referred to as trust like in: I believe my father that the car is in the garage. I don't have any evidence that the car is there but since I know from experience that my father doesn't lie to me in such a case I trust him when he tells me that the car is in the garage.

167 posted on 07/25/2002 7:15:30 PM PDT by BMCDA
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